Aren't we due for a major Kite Innovation?

Puetz · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:10 am

... Two line kites with auto depower!

eree · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:21 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:

.......
It is not the companies that dictates what is being sold IMO...
It is us as kitesurfers

We have had kites with HUGE windranges since 2005 when the bow kite came, as they were "extreme"

"extreme windrange"? what are you talking about? in real they have 2m/s range and it almost never changed!

Peter_Frank wrote:

But we users apparently demand kites with better handling, agility, turning, response etc etc - so we choose more kites with less windrange, because we like their overall performance and feel and handling.
So the bow has evolved to SLE kites which is a moderate bow kite so to speak - with a little bit of everything we like.
You can not get all, if you decide to push one feature with a kite design, it will be worse at other things.
So we have had huge windrange kites, but as most users want kites with slightly different characteristics - this is what is the "mainstream" kites today by almost every kitebrand.
Personally I prefer these kites with more range though - and also use such kites today - but still choose kites that turns better than the extreme windrange bow kites

there was nothing wrong with my current 2010 kite, but the brand decided (just out of the clear blue sky) that the kite i use have to be upgraded to "high performance" kite, so now the same kite is slower turning, with less depower and most of all ALOT LESS low end!!!!!!!!!!
did they ask my opinion? no!
just like always in this business, "we spoke about this and I decided, kites will be like trend is dictating....

Peter_Frank wrote:

The same with durability - we want light kites that turns fast and for light wind it is even more important.
Some has tried making heavier more durable reinforced kites, but they have always been a big flop - as we dont want these kites

I dont think the kitebrands got any part of WHAT kites are mainstream - that is us as buyers and users that has been setting the standard over the years, so it has evolved to what "we want" now :thumb:

That is the good thing about having so many good kitebrands around - the competition between them and a really small target group they all try to aim for, will let us kitesurfers dictate what is hot" and produced

well Peter,
that is the problem - there is no competition!
there are three or four really bright minds in this business and thats all. all the rest are the former taxi drivers and real estate brokers. they don't know a shit about the aerodynamics but they have the army of the distributors! and of course they report every year: we have developed revolutionary kite for this year...

Dave_5280 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:40 pm **Posts:** 383

The Naish Sigma design sounded like a great innovation a couple years ago and there were 3 or 4 models but now I think there is only one model.

Anyone know what happened?

Toby · **Posted:** Thu Jun 28, 2012 7:38 am

I think kites always had a wide range...but in the beginning the depower way was way shorter!
Today it is your whole arm length!
I always had it long and always a big range!

longwhitecloud · **Joined:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:15 am **Posts:** 1032

" Back in 2006 Cabrinha came out with the Crossbow and everything changed." not a big deal but that is not really fair on Takoon who produced first licensed bow kite

big one i think is i can see light weight bladders being developed due to racing - everything will be become more expensive - every piece of kit specialized for specific purpose. No more all round kite pros - specific disciplines with no time for anything else to stay at top. Some riders will go back to roots as specialization becomes less fun. Kite shapes will go back to roots too - already seeing this in some of 2013 kit i have seen. Kite racing internationally will begin to have more and more traveling with loads of equipment problems/hassle, some will get over this - other race classes will emerge. More riders will discover a simple inexpensive surfboard can do everything and well - race, freestyle of sorts ,waves, freeride, lightwind. Kites will get lighter bar pressures, faster turning, more depower but will drop you out of sky faster, hindenberg more and generate less apparent wind force and so the back and fourth of kite design will go - as it already has. New younger riders will prove you can rip on almost anything and the washed up old dudes will moan about how much better it used to be before kiteboarding was more towards mainstream lol

Puetz · **Posted:** Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:20 am

... the last leap forward was the free ride/race board in my opinion. A bit of gear that is easy to use, have good wind range and best of all, fun!!!. Big tick for the Sectors then! What more do you want, to have fun in light winds, isn't that what were after so isn't that a leap forward???

If the bow kite was a leap forward then the Sectors surely is too, they did for boards what bow's did for kites, gave us bigger range.

Cool,

Robbie

MissionMan · **Posted:** Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:16 am

Johnny Rotten wrote:

jwoodunlv wrote:

The only kite innovation I'm looking for is no kite innovation so that shit will get less expensive. It's damn near impossible to talk the wife into letting me spend $1200 on a kite with the latest pool toy technology.

HERE'S TO NO INNOVATION!!!!!!

There's a company selling kites online direct from manufacturer, cheap as hell, (more than half the price) a lot of good riders have been picking them up around my local spots definitely biggest brand growth I've seen within a year of release.

Haven't tried em yet myself but certainly will give em a fly before I buy my next kite.
They don't spend a lot of money advertising on this form (or anywhere else) so mentioning the brand will likely get my post deleted.
Innovative business model.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHA

Sorry, I couldn't stop laughing when you mentioned innovative business model. Innovation means introducing a new concept, there is nothing new about their model.

Best (as much as I hate them) introduced this model many years ago - the first Best kite was using this model. How many years ago was that? Cheap kites direct online. Once they gained market share, they changed their model. Many others have tried long before the kite brand you chose not to name (and which Toby has banned due to their annoying and aggressive business model which resulted in a massive amount of spam on the forum).

Peter_Frank · **Posted:** Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:17 am

Puetz wrote:

... the last leap forward was the free ride/race board in my opinion. A bit of gear that is easy to use, have good wind range and best of all, fun!!!. Big tick for the Sectors then! What more do you want, to have fun in light winds, isn't that what were after so isn't that a leap forward???

If the bow kite was a leap forward then the Sectors surely is too, they did for boards what bow's did for kites, gave us bigger range.

Cool,

Robbie

I agree

Freeride raceboards is a giant leap forward in terms of innovations.

But not on par with the bow kites that changed the kite world dramatically leading to the kites almost every kitesurfer uses today.

As freeride raceboards has not changed almost every board.

But it has been added to the board quivers to give a huge range and fun in many typical conditions, especially light wind and touring :naughty:

So a huge innovation IMO - as it has lead to both full blooded raceboards (and the olympics), as well as awesome allround freerace boards for everyone :thumb:

Peter

Toby · **Posted:** Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:49 am

Agreed, raceboards!

But, also the big race kites closed a gap further to foils in light winds.

SupaEZ · **Joined:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:47 pm **Posts:** 1635

Toby wrote:

But, also the big race kites closed a gap further to foils in light winds.

That's why at 75kg i sold my SP3 21 and now ride Core Riot XR2LW 19M on 27m lines

Haven't missed the 21 at all :bye:

...................... :surf:

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Aren't we due for a major Kite Innovation?

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